Tuesday, 03 September 2002 | Ms. Pac-Man remedy

For the next few days my American friend from Germany is staying over. Tonight he arrived minus his luggage, and almost immediately we went out for a drink and launched into a conversation about governments and power and money and history and war, until I was thoroughly depressed and feeling quite cynical. But then we did what you have to do and forgot about it for a little while; we played Ms. Pac-Man and we spoke in German about nothing serious and we called it a night.

When I got home I discovered two things. My mom had sent me a mixed tape, just as she always does when I move somewhere, and, consistent with the others, it has the theme of my "new city." Before I looked at the song list, I'd expected to see at least one Barry Manilow song (there were two), but Moby? And Cracker? The note she included in the package had the instructions, "Please listen at least once." Of course I will. In comparison, when I give someone a mixed tape/CD, I practically require that person to give a report and rank the songs in order from best to worst.

The second thing I discovered is that my friend Stuart just got published (rather randomly) in Salon. The story is unlikely but true. The story of how he got published is even more unlikely.